Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
But he held on to a sliver of hope and asked, “Then… may I stay with you at the house?”
Stay together in the dingy little house?
She knew that it must have been difficult for him to willingly say something like this, but…
She lowered her head and said softly, “I want to stay by myself.”
If her mother’s leaving had been triggered by Ding Mengya, her mother was surely going to be displeased at the sight of Si Zhengting.
More than that… would she truly be able to live together with Si Zhengting without regard for the strains in their relationship?
Would he be able to live agreeably alongside her, given his domineering personality?
Just as she was thinking about this, she heard his reply. “Okay.”
Her heart inexplicably relaxed. Si Zhengting reached out and took her bag from her. “Let me send you there.”
This time, Zhuang Nainai didn’t refuse.
They were silent the moment they stepped into the car. Even Zhuang Nainai, who was used to scrolling through her Weibo feed, was staring out of the window.
The traffic jam in Beijing was severe; upon getting onto one of the Ring roads, they got stuck in a jam.
Watching the cars around her move at a snail’s pace, Zhuang Nainai sighed. At this rate, it was going to take her two hours to reach her house. If she had known earlier, she would have chosen to take the train.
As she thought this to herself, she rubbed her tummy. She had been getting hungry very easily recently, and just as this thought crossed her mind, her stomach grumbled.
The grumble rang out loud and clear in the silent car, plunging her into embarrassment.
It was only upon hearing this that Si Zhengting realized that they had not eaten anything for around five hours or so.
Surveying his surroundings, he spotted a noodle shop just below the ring road. Then, casting a glance at the speed of the car in front, he suddenly pushed open the door and got himself out of the car.
This shocked Zhuang Nainai and Ji Chen. Startled, Ji Chen said, “Mr. Si!”
“You all go ahead first.” With that, Si Zhengting rounded the car and ran to the side.
His long legs made him look especially good when running, and it made him fast too; his silhouette from the back bore a semblance to his former glory days as the running champion during sports competitions back when they were in high school.
Zhuang Nainai was baffled. Why had he run down so suddenly?
After a while, she finally understood. Si Zhengting was now with a few buns in his hands after emerging from a random shop, and he rounded a few cars before running toward theirs.
Reaching the car in a flash, he quickly squirmed back inside. Yet he didn’t look the least bit ruffled. Instead, he simply passed the buns to Zhuang Nainai. “Here, eat them.”
Stunned, Zhuang Nainai took the buns from him. Looking at the buns in her hand, she felt touched, and warmth spread through her heart.
After opening the bag, she began eating.
Just as she began digging in, she spotted Ji Chen’s bitter face. He said, “Mr. Si, there are cameras around here. Everything you did just now was caught on camera, and I’m afraid that we’ll be getting 12 demerit points!”
Si Zhengting replied lightly, “Well, let them deduct it. It’s your car, so bring your driver’s license to settle the issue.”
Ji Chen was speechless.
—
By the time the car got to Xibali village, it was already eight at night.
Getting out of the car at the alley, Zhuang Nainai hurriedly walked toward her house.
How she wished that her house would have a light on, how she wished that her mother was in the small house waiting for her to return, how she wished her mother would say, “Nainai, dinner’s ready, come and eat…”
Taking two steps forward, she saw… there was actually light coming from the house!
